The comfort and support Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) currently receive at airport lounges may soon be a thing of the past. Patricia Yvonne Caunan, Administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), warned on Friday that the agency’s proposed 2026 budget is not enough to maintain these services beyond this year.
Caunan made the statement during a budget hearing by the House committee on appropriations, where lawmakers tackled the Department of Migrant Workers’ (DMW) 2026 allocation under the National Expenditure Program (NEP). Agimat party-list Representative Bryan Revilla specifically raised concerns about the future of the OFW Lounges at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
With only ₱142 million allocated under the 2026 Alagang OWWA Fund, Caunan said not even one OFW lounge could continue its current operations.
“Unfortunately, Mr. Chair, if we follow the allocation at the NEP, we cannot continue the level of service that we’re giving our OFWs—not even one of the lounges,” Caunan said in an Inquirer.net report.
These lounges offer more than just a place to sit. They provide free meals, water, sleeping quarters, Wi-Fi, charging stations, and on-site assistance counters for first-time OFWs who may be overwhelmed by the travel process.
According to Caunan, the lounges—particularly at NAIA Terminal 3—have been especially helpful for OFWs who arrive at the airport early in the morning but are scheduled to fly out later in the day. “In here, they will feel the service fit for new heroes,” she said, adding that feedback on the OWWA and DMW counters has been overwhelmingly positive.
She also emphasized that these lounges are more than just rest stops. “This is our last contact point before their flight,” she pointed out, explaining the importance of guiding OFWs who are often flying out for the first time.
Caunan revealed that there had been plans to expand the lounge services to major airports like Clark International Airport and Mactan-Cebu International Airport, citing high volumes of OFW traffic in those areas. However, she stressed that such expansions would only be possible if the fund is increased.
“People are happy with these lounges because, of course, they thought this treatment is reserved just for business class passengers. And this is how we treat our OFWs. This is how we should treat them,” Caunan added.
During the hearing, Revilla expressed strong support for restoring the proposed OWWA and DMW budgets in full. Under the current NEP, the two agencies are set to receive a combined ₱10.2 billion—an amount Revilla said paled in comparison to the ₱2.2 trillion in OFW remittances recorded in 2024.
“Let that sink in: what our OFWs contribute in a single year is over 215 times larger than what we propose to invest in the very institutions mandated to protect and serve them,” Revilla said.
He underscored the value of OFW Lounges, calling them “vital sanctuaries for OFWs in transit or in distress,” not mere luxury spaces. He also sounded the alarm over reports that some DMW employees have had to purchase their own work equipment due to budget constraints.
“They hold the line while millions depend on them. These are not luxuries. These are essentials that directly impact how well we protect and serve our OFWs,” he said.
Revilla closed his appeal with an emotional call to action: “If our OFWs can carry the torch of our nation through the darkness of distance and years of longing, then surely, we can keep that light burning for them in return. This is not just a budget issue. This is about who we choose to stand for.”
